NEW DELHI, July 28 (Xinhuanet) -- India said on Thursday that it would not fall in the trap of the United States by signing the new framework on defense cooperation.

    "Any participation of Indian troops in multinational operations outside the UN framework would be guided by national interests," Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in the Parliament on Thursday.

    Asserting there was no move to deploy Indian troops in near future in any theatre; Mukherjee told Lok Sabha, (Lower House) during question hour that though the new framework on defensecooperation signed with the United States provided for collaboration in multinational operations, it did not commit India to any specific action that is not in our national interest.

    He said India would not fall in the trap of the United States by signing the new framework while asserting that it was absolutely in conformity with the common minimum program (CMP) ofthe UPA government.

    The United States wants Indian troops' participation in dealing with the war-ravaged Iraq.

    India has the fourth-largest military in the world and has taken part in UN-directed peacekeeping operations in Somalia, Cambodia and Angola.

    However, the country's Left Parties, which have a sizable number of Members of Parliament and are supporting the coalition Government in New Delhi, are bitterly opposed to any participation of Indian troops in Iraq.

    "There is no deviation from the CMP. We are not falling in any trap... We are mature enough not to fall in trap... India's foreign policy is well-known and so is our stand on sending troops to Iraq," Mukherjee said.

    No clause of the agreement can compel India to take a decision which is not in the nation's interest, he stressed.

    Responding to question whether the framework would imply that Indian armed forces would participate in any military action initiated by the United States against international terrorism, he said no such participation is contemplated or implied in the arrangement.

    "Participation in any operation will be guided by the national interest and principles of our foreign policies including our independent stand on international issues," the Defense Minister added. Enditem